The watch in her pocket.
Anne kicked out, her foot connecting with William’s face. He fell back, his hands clutching his nose as blood spurted everywhere, like a fountain. Jumping to her feet, Anne reached into her pocket and grabbed the watch.
Taking aim, she threw with all of her might. Both she and William remained motionless as the watch sailed through the air. It pierced the window in the library, shattering the smooth surface and breaking the reflection of the moon into a thousand shards.
CHAPTER 30
Teach
Glass rained down from the window, and a familiar gold object landed on the carpet near Teach’s feet. It was Anne’s pocket watch. Alarmed, he scooped it up and looked out, to where he saw a flash of ivory in the gloom. Two figures battled outside, and an overpowering rage swept through Teach as he realized it was Anne. And William.
“What the devil?” Drummond snapped.
Throwing open the French doors, Teach nearly pulled them off their hinges. The cold air rushed in, as well as the sounds of Anne’s struggle. Teach flew across the balcony, his arms outstretched as he reached for William’s throat.
He would kill him for this.
Teach’s blood roared in his ears, and he tackled William to the ground in a confusion of limbs and cloth, his fists pummeling his former friend with coiled strength. William could only lie there, trying to protect himself as best he could.
“Edward, stop this at once!” His father’s hands gripped Teach around his shoulders, attempting to pull him back, but Teach was not prepared to stop. After one particularly hard hit, William caught his breath in a gasp of agony.
Only Anne’s voice was able to break through the haze, piercing Teach’s rage as she cried out to him.
Slowly, like a man waking from a dream, Teach fell back, his chest heaving, finally aware of a number of people surrounding them. William lay curled in a ball, openly sobbing, his clothes bloodied and soiled.
“Get her out of here,” Drummond said. “I’ll deal with this.”
Teach scooped Anne into his arms and carried her away from prying eyes. The rips in Anne’s dress along with the grass stains painted a condemning picture.
He set her down once they were out of sight, his eyes and hands running over her, trying to assess how much damage had been done. She trembled uncontrollably, clearly in shock.
“Are you all right? Did he hurt you?” Teach asked.
Anne shook her head. “No, no,” she whispered, her voice quivering. “I was trying to get to you—”
It was all Teach could do not to return to beat the remaining life out of William. If Teach ever saw William again, he swore to himself he would finish the job.
But not now. Right now Anne needed him.
Teach gathered her close, pressing his lips against her hair, desperate to convince her that she was safe. “Let’s get you home,” he said, taking off his longcoat and placing it around her shoulders.
As they neared the front of the house, Teach was careful to shield Anne from curious looks. He hailed his driver and then climbed into the carriage beside her, shutting the door soundly behind him. Once inside, he brought her close, running his hands up and down her arms in an effort to stop her shivering. The carriage pulled away.
“I have to tell you—” Anne began, but Teach silenced her.
“Shhh, no, don’t,” he said, unable to bear it. If William had indeed harmed her . . .
“No, it has n-nothing to do with me. He . . . he did not hurt me.” Teach snorted, but Anne remained firm, even as her teeth chattered from shock. “He might have, if . . . if you hadn’t come. He was frightened I would tell you about them.”
“About whom?” Teach asked.
“William and Patience. William is the one who accused you of piracy. And Patience is pregnant with his child.”
Teach froze, his hands resting on Anne’s arms.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, concern for him evident on her face.
Teach stared at her. “You’re sorry? Why would you be sorry?” he asked, incredulous.
Anne swallowed. “Because William is your friend. And because I was the one who had to tell you. I overheard them in the garden.” A look of disgust filled her eyes. “They deserve each other. I don’t understand why the two of them don’t just marry.”
“After tonight they will have no choice,” Teach said.
“But why didn’t they simply do that in the first place? Does Patience truly love him?”
“I believe she may. William makes her laugh. The two of them have much in common, caring more about parties and appearance than books or learning. It seems that while I was gone, their attraction to each other merely increased.”
“Then why didn’t the baron choose William to marry her? Why you?”
“Because the Duke and Duchess of Cardwell would never agree to it. On more than one occasion, I overheard them talking about her. They see Patience for what she really is, a spoiled, manipulative girl. And they wanted more than a baron’s daughter for William.”
“But William is no better,” Anne said bitterly.
“But he is their son. They’ve spoiled him and are too afraid to admit that they were wrong to supply his every whim.” Teach exhaled loudly. “I should have suspected something.”
“William believed charging you with piracy would get Lord Hervey to change his mind about your match. But it didn’t.”
“No, it didn’t. And knowing Patience as I do, I believe she was torn. She loves her father and knows how much he needs my father’s money. That was why she couldn’t break off the betrothal outright.”
Anne leaned into him, and Teach closed his eyes, relishing the warmth of her body against his.
“Will they claim the baby is yours?” she asked.
“They might try. That was why they were rushing the engagement.” Looking back, everything made sense. The note Anne found had been intended for Patience.
“What will you do now?” she asked.
“Marry you,” was his simple response.
Anne met Teach’s gaze. Her mouth tilted up at the corner, and a bright glint entered her eyes. “And if I’m not ready to marry?”
“Then I will wait.”
“Is that a proposal?” she asked softly.
Teach grinned. “Perhaps. Will you accept?”
“Perhaps.”
“What would it take to convince you?” he asked.
“It’s not me you have to convince. It’s your father.”
Teach brushed her hair behind her ear. “My father can have no objections now. You’re Andrew Barrett’s daughter and more of an equal match for me than Patience ever was.”
Anne appeared unconvinced, but remained silent.
In the shelter of the carriage, Teach held her close, her heart beating against his chest.
“You’re going back there, aren’t you?” Anne asked.
Teach frowned. “I should. I wish I could leave it until tomorrow, but I’m afraid of what Patience and William will say if they’re given enough time to concoct some other story. The best time to catch them in their lies is now, when they haven’t time to regroup. I must go and explain my case.”
The carriage pulled to a stop. Teach jumped out and walked Anne up to the entrance of the house. “I’m sorry for leaving you so soon.”
“I’ll be fine. You must tell your father what I heard. Come and find me later.”
“Always,” he said.
Teach waited until Elizabeth appeared and took Anne to her room before he bounded back down the stairs toward the carriage. This would not take him long. Word of what had happened had no doubt spread throughout the party.
Teach instructed the driver to return to the Cardwell estate.
By the time he arrived, the last of the guests were entering thei
r carriages, no doubt disappointed that the grand party had been cut short. The lanterns out front flickered in the wind, and the green garlands and topiaries looked forlorn instead of festive.
Inside the large house, Teach followed the butler down the long, deserted hallway. He heard the loud voices before he entered the drawing room. Both the duke and the baron were crouched over William where he sat in the corner of the settee. A bloody cloth was pressed to his nose, and his head was tipped back to staunch the flow.
“How is Anne?” Drummond asked, reaching his son’s side before the others were aware of his presence.
“Recovering, thank you. What have I missed?”
Before Teach’s father could respond, William’s eyes widened. The duke turned, his face red with rage.
“There you are. Would you care to explain why you attacked my son in the middle of a party held in your honor?”
Drummond stepped in front of Teach. “As I told you, your son attacked my goddaughter, Your Grace. I saw it with my own eyes. Edward was merely protecting her.”
The duke spread his hands wide. “Where is she, then? Hmmm? The only victim I see here is William. You could have killed him!”
If his father hadn’t been standing in front of him, Teach might have gone for the duke’s throat as well. “I took Anne home for her own protection. She happened to overhear a conversation between the earl and Miss Patience.”
“What did she expect, skulking about the gardens like a common street— Ahh!” William’s words were cut off by his own high-pitched squeal as Teach lunged for him.
It took the combined strength of the duke, Lord Hervey, and Drummond to hold Teach back.
“You bloody coward!” Teach spat, straining against the three men who prevented him from delivering more damage to William’s face. “The only sullied reputation is Miss Patience’s. Does your father know he’s about to be a grandfather?”
“What?” the duke cried.
“What the devil are you talking about?” Lord Hervey demanded.
Teach stepped out of their grasp. “Oh, didn’t Lord Lorimar tell you? In the garden he professed his undying love for Miss Patience. She’s carrying his child.”
The silence in the room was thick, and for a moment time seemed to stand still.
Turning to his father, Teach pointed an accusatory finger at William. “And it was Lorimar who accused me of piracy. He did it hoping the baron would hear about it and break the betrothal, for the earl hopes to marry Patience himself.”
“Is this true?” the duke asked, piercing his son with an astonished glare.
William cowered in the corner, his mouth opening and closing, but no sound came out.
Lord Hervey sputtered protestations, his face and neck turning an alarming shade of red. Drummond looked between the three men, his brows drawn together in a frown.
“Is this true, Edward?” he asked, turning to his son.
Teach nodded. “Yes. I suspect Miss Patience is several weeks along already. They have only to ask Miss Patience to confirm it.”
The duke strode to the door and barked out orders. In just a few minutes Patience arrived, along with Lady Hervey and the duchess.
“What is the meaning of this?” the duchess asked. “William should be in bed.” Glancing at the assembled group, the duchess saw Teach, and her eyes narrowed. “Why is he still here? Are you going to press charges?” she asked, turning on her husband.
“If anyone is going to press charges, it will be me,” Drummond said. “Your son attacked an innocent girl, who happens to be under my protection.” Turning to Lord Hervey, he nodded in Patience’s direction. “The betrothal is off. My son will no longer marry your daughter.” His voice rang throughout the room, and Teach’s chest nearly burst with the relief he felt at his father’s words.
“And why not?” Lady Hervey asked.
“I believe that is a conversation best left between you and your husband. My business here is concluded. Edward, it’s time for us to go.”
Teach was only too happy to exit the room as the aristocrats started flinging accusations at one another. He gathered it wouldn’t take long before objects followed.
CHAPTER 31
Teach
For the next three days Teach couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. He hadn’t been this happy since he’d first set sail on Andrew Barrett’s ship more than a year ago, bound for adventures untold.
He was grateful and extremely relieved that his involvement with Patience Hervey and her family was at an end. It had been an ugly confrontation, one that had no doubt turned uglier the moment he and his father had left.
Drummond had actually apologized to Teach. It was now widely known that Patience was several weeks pregnant, and since Teach had only recently returned, there was no conceivable way he could have fathered the child. Instead of announcing Teach’s and Patience’s betrothal, William’s and Patience’s names were tied together publicly.
Teach didn’t care if he never saw William or Patience again. When he thought how close he had come to marrying her . . . his stomach twisted at the thought. If they had married, when the child had been born, would he have recognized that it wasn’t his? Or would he have assumed the baby had simply come early, and raised it as his own?
If it hadn’t been for Anne— Teach pictured her struggling against William. He had a hard time controlling his anger when he thought of it.
He and Anne had decided not to tell his father about their plans to marry. Not yet, at least.
She was the daughter of a respectable and admired merchant, not to mention Master Drummond’s closest friend. She would be a worthy match, and with time Teach was sure his father would see it.
Without a wedding to plan, Drummond had thrown himself into preparations for the launch of the Deliverance and was hardly ever at home. Teach was glad, for it left him time to spend with Anne alone. They dined together at the house and took walks through the garden, talking about everything and nothing. When they were silent, it wasn’t the awkward silence of two who had exhausted their conversation. It was simply companionable, each one at peace with the other.
Now Teach hurried his pace, oblivious to the busy city streets. He was supposed to meet up with Anne and Elizabeth within an hour, and nothing was going to make him late.
Anne had been reluctant to go into the city, ever since the party, and he’d told her he would meet her near the docks in an hour. Anne had shaken her head at him. “I shouldn’t have let you talk me into this. You’re like a young boy on Christmas Day.”
“And you are my gift. Just so you know, I was never very good at sharing.” Laughing at the shocked look on Elizabeth’s face, Teach had left the two of them at the dressmakers.
He could not wait to see Anne again. She was more honorable than most landed gentry he knew. Including his ex-fiancée. Once he and Anne were married, he would show everyone just how remarkable she was. The fact that Anne’s skin was a shade darker than most should not exclude her from anyone’s drawing rooms.
Teach quickened his pace as he neared his destination, unwilling to let anything ruin his plans or his mood. He pulled the heavy wooden-and-glass door open and stepped inside.
The shop gave off a clean, sharp scent of linseed oil. Teach glanced around at the simple interior. Several chairs were arranged in groups of three at small desks, a curtain hanging between each grouping, giving the occupants privacy.
Teach nodded to the shopkeeper, who withdrew into a back room, only to return with an ornate velvet box in his hands and a shiny gold object.
“Please sit down,” he instructed Teach.
Teach settled into his chair, his heart racing. Anne was right. He hadn’t been this excited since he used to wake up on Christmas morning, waiting to see what gifts he’d been given.
“Here is the watch you asked to be repaired.”
“Now for the other matter. I took the liberty of picking these out myself, once I read your message.” With a deft movement the shopkeeper opened the velvet box, and Teach smiled at what lay before him.
Rings in all shapes and sizes lined the interior, covered in diamonds and pearls. “Which one shall it be?” the jeweler asked.
Teach was momentarily overwhelmed and shook his head, wondering if he should have brought Anne along with him. “I can’t pick. They’re all so beautiful. That would be like picking a favorite child.”
The shopkeeper smiled indulgently, no doubt used to such astonishment. “Perhaps it would help if you held them up to the light.” He reached out and picked up a gold ring with a large pearl, then slipped it into Teach’s hand.
Teach held it up, admiring the ring as it shimmered in the sunlight streaming through the windows. “It’s . . . quite large,” he said at length.
The jeweler’s eyebrows drew together.
Teach sensed his displeasure and placed it back in the tray.
“How about this one?” the jeweler asked, picking a large diamond ring.
Teach frowned and held it up as well. It didn’t feel quite right for her. “I’m afraid she would cut me with this,” he said after a moment. “Or scar me for life.”
The shopkeeper was clearly not amused. “I have some other rings I could show you,” he said haughtily.
Teach nodded. “Please.”
The jeweler probably thought Teach was too cheap to buy anything this extravagant. Quite the contrary. He wanted to show the world how much Anne meant to him, but he also wanted to prove it to her. A large ring might impress the residents of Bristol, but it wouldn’t impress Anne.
She already had several new dresses and gowns. Teach was even worse than his father when it came to dressmakers. He’d gone so far as to have an ivory gown made, to replace the one that had been ruined at the party. She’d protested the entire time, but Teach had managed to override her objections.
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